Global Immigration Report

Trends and highlights from July to September 2024

Executive summary

“Geopolitical events continue to impact immigration policy, with contested election results in Venezuela leading to diplomatic tensions, travel suspensions and disruptions in application processing across the region. Elections were also recently completed in Mexico and Panama, and soon expected in Canada, Uruguay and the US. The rapidly changing political landscape in the Americas region will likely result in further changes in immigration policy.”

George Reis, EY Americas Immigration Leader

Comprehensive changes in immigration legislation: Australia continues to implement some of the most significant updates to its immigration laws in decades, while Ireland introduced a new Act which is expected to modernize its Employment Permits system and reduce administrative obligations for employers. New Zealand has initiated an overhaul of its immigration system following a change in government in late 2023 and a report released earlier in 2024 regarding its accredited employer framework. In Germany, recent reforms will make it easier for third-country nationals to obtain citizenship.

New policies to fill skills gaps with highly skilled workers: Multiple jurisdictions launched, or plan to launch, new visas and permits for highly skilled talent (Australia, Mauritius). In Europe, additional countries (Luxembourg, Netherlands, Slovakia) simplified the requirements for Blue Card applicants, in line with the revised EU Blue Card Directive.

Reduced reliance on foreign labor and enhanced compliance measures: Several governments took steps to reduce their reliance on foreign workers (Oman, the UK) and conduct stricter compliance checks (Finland, Poland). Others introduced new requirements for employers, including more rigorous inspections for labor market impact assessments (Canada) and greater scrutiny of applications (New Zealand).

Digital transformation of immigration processes: The trend toward adopting digital solutions to simplify processes and improve efficiency continues to grow. Authorities in multiple locations launched online systems to streamline application processing (Malaysia, Singapore), apostille services (Ecuador) and the admission of specific travelers (Hong Kong, Macau). The EU expects to launch its Entry/Exit System (EES) in November 2024, while Thailand, Israel and the UK plan to introduce (or expand the use of) Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) systems in late 2024 or 2025.

Looking ahead, voters in over 20 jurisdictions are set to go to polls in the last quarter of 2024, with immigration at the forefront of the political discourse. In the EU, recent elections and rising anti-immigrant sentiment have shifted immigration policy and resulted in stronger controls for foreign workers in several countries. In the US, the November 2024 presidential and congressional races may lead to changes that could significantly impact the workforce and operations of organizations that rely on foreign workers, regardless of the election outcome.